Occupiers in Conservative Texas City Have Support of Mayor, Some Tea Partiers

Although protesters have been driven from their peaceful occupations of almost every location across the nation, including Wall Street, Los Angeles, UC Davis and Oakland, they have managed to hang on at a busy intersection across the street from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, one of the most conservative cities in the country.

Even though they are enduring a bitterly cold winter, with a wind chill factor of close to zero on some mornings, it appears the Lubbock occupiers are there to stay. Mayor Tom Martin has said: "The land at 19th and University is street right of way, it's not a park. So there is no curfew on that particular piece of property. The people that are engaged in the Occupy Lubbock movement are exercising First Amendment rights."

The young people who are occupying the encampment are dedicated to getting the word out in a community in which many people are unaware of the occupy movement, and they welcome the rank-and-file members of the Tea Party to join them in their efforts to overcome Citizens United. We should all stand so tall and be so well spoken.

William John Cox is a retired prosecutor and public interest lawyer, author and political activist. His efforts to promote a peaceful political evolution can be found at VotersEvolt.com, his writings are collected atWilliamJohnCox.com and he can be contacted at u2cox@msn.com.

Occupiers in Conservative Texas City Have Support of Mayor, Some Tea Partiers

Although protesters have been driven from their peaceful occupations of almost every location across the nation, including Wall Street, Los Angeles, UC Davis and Oakland, they have managed to hang on at a busy intersection across the street from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, one of the most conservative cities in the country.

Even though they are enduring a bitterly cold winter, with a wind chill factor of close to zero on some mornings, it appears the Lubbock occupiers are there to stay. Mayor Tom Martin has said: "The land at 19th and University is street right of way, it's not a park. So there is no curfew on that particular piece of property. The people that are engaged in the Occupy Lubbock movement are exercising First Amendment rights."

The young people who are occupying the encampment are dedicated to getting the word out in a community in which many people are unaware of the occupy movement, and they welcome the rank-and-file members of the Tea Party to join them in their efforts to overcome Citizens United. We should all stand so tall and be so well spoken.

William John Cox is a retired prosecutor and public interest lawyer, author and political activist. His efforts to promote a peaceful political evolution can be found at VotersEvolt.com, his writings are collected atWilliamJohnCox.com and he can be contacted at u2cox@msn.com.